ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Tuesday directed the former Chief Judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Muhammad Shamim to submit his written response before December 7 that why did he submit his affidavit in London, besides why he submitted his affidavit after a gap of three years.

A few weeks ago, Rana Shamim had alleged in a duly notarized affidavit that the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had directed a high court judge to not release Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on bail at any cost before the 2018 General Elections are held.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed Rana Shamim to also submit a written response to the show-cause notice sent to him by the IHC, besides presenting the original affidavit. During the hearing, Justice Athar Minallah maintained that the former Chief Judge of Gilgit-Baltistan tried to shake the public’s confidence in the judiciary.

He said judiciary’s freedom was dependent on the freedom of the press, however, there were certain responsibilities that came with the freedom of the press. To a court query, Rana Shamim said he was contacted after his affidavit was published and he confirmed it. He said the affidavit was sealed and he did not know how it got leaked. He said he did not submit the affidavit for publication.

During the proceedings, the attorney-general requested the court to delay action against the media persons issued notice in this case, saying that its role was secondary in this case. He urged the court to direct Rana Shamim to present his written response with the original affidavit in the court. Later, the court adjourned the hearing until December 7.